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Vaccine-preventable disease could kill 900,000 people

According to the Investment Case pitch in Abu Dhabi, without increased investment in VPD surveillance Africa could incur a US$22.4 billion economic burden over the next decade and expose 900,000 people to avoidable death.

“Despite extraordinary progress boosting vaccine coverage around the world in the past two decades, one and a half million people are still dying from vaccine-preventable diseases every year,” said Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi; the Vaccine Alliance.

“Our biggest challenge in reducing the horrific toll these diseases still cause is finding the children who are still missing out on vaccines. That’s why improved vaccine-preventable disease surveillance systems are so important, helping health authorities to identify the areas where immunization coverage is weakest and protect those children who are currently being left behind.”

At least US$470 million in operating costs will be needed over the next decade to ensure strong disease surveillance. The WHO predicts that the investment would save over 700,000 lives, prevent 20 million people from falling ill due to vaccine-preventable diseases, and save US$21 billion over 10 years – estimated to be a 44.6-fold return on investment.

The Investment Case outlines WHO’s ambition for progress by 2030, including the need for increased domestic investment for surveillance activities as well as mobilisation of international resources in order to ensure strong disease surveillance.

A private sector firm has already pledged $5 million over the next five years, beginning in 2020, to support and strengthen VPD surveillance efforts in the African Region.

“We hope that this first pledge in support of the VPD surveillance investment case will be catalytic, and will encourage other traditional and non-traditional donors to consider this critical area of work, including how the private sector and governments can work closely together to ensure we successfully bridge funding gaps,” said Elizabeth Ivanovich, Director of Global Health at the UN Foundation.

Dr. Rebecca Martin, Director of the Center for Global Health, CDC, issued a statement of support, adding: “CDC is strongly committed to global health security, helping to strengthen health systems that can prevent avoidable epidemics, detect threats early, and respond rapidly to outbreaks.”

According to Dr. Richard Mihigo, Programme Manager for Immunisation and Vaccine Development at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, the fact that most countries in the African Region continue to rely on external funding for VPD surveillance is a strong indicator of the work that remains to be done.

“Governments have a central role to play to fill upcoming funding gaps and ensure immunisation programmes and surveillance remains strong and vigilant,” he said.

Vaccine preventable diseases currently include:

Diseases for which vaccinations form part of the Standard Vaccination Schedule:

Diphtheria,  tetanus,  pertussis (whooping cough),  poliomyelitis (polio),  measles, mumps, rubella,    haemophilus influenzae type b infections, hepatitis B,influenza, pneumococcal infections

Other diseases where a risk may arise for a particular person or group of people in specific situations:

Cholera,  hepatitis A,  meningococcal disease,  plague, rabies, bat lyssavirus, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis,  Q fever,  tuberculosis,  typhoid, and varicella-zoster (chickenpox).

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